Perperikon
The ancient fortress of Perperikon, also knows as Hiperperikon is a historical area situated in the eastern part of Rodhopi mountain, about 15 km southeast from Kurjali town. If one travels by car one can take the road Sofia - Asenovgrad - Kurjali. The area is encircled by the Perpereshka river which has contributed to the good living conditions for centuries. The earliest settlement found here dates back in 6th - 5th century B.C. The people once living in the area were agricultural tribes. They developed also the wine industry in the region at that time.
Another interesting sight is the "castle". It is a building whose function is still not known. Today one can see the first floor which was build in the rocks and has about 50 different rooms. As a legend says Orfey - a famous mythological singer - was born somewhere here in ancient Thracia.
The Fortress of Perperikon is situated 20 kilometres north-east of the town of Kurdjali in Southern Bulgaria. After examining some ancient maps Bulgarian scientists have uncovered the ancient name of the majestic religious centre Perperikon as "Pergamon" - a Thracian word meaning "stronghold on the top" – and therefore revealing one of the deepest secrets of the ancient world. According to the Bulgarian scientists the name of the city was derived from a actual fortress.
The maps showed that by the Arda river there was a big city named Pergamon, which was also the first name of the legendary Troy. The experts are still considering the possibility that both Pergamon and Perperikon were actually one and the same city. This archaeological ensemble is typical for its rich stratigraphy, with the earliest discovered strata dating back to the Iron Age. The stronghold, which was built in Antiquity, had been continuously developed and reconstructed through the Middle Ages. In many documents from the 13th and 14th centuries it is called under the name of Hyperperikon.
The Fortress of Perperikon is situated 20 kilometres north-east of the town of Kurdjali in Southern Bulgaria. After examining some ancient maps Bulgarian scientists have uncovered the ancient name of the majestic religious centre Perperikon as "Pergamon" - a Thracian word meaning "stronghold on the top" – and therefore revealing one of the deepest secrets of the ancient world. According to the Bulgarian scientists the name of the city was derived from a actual fortress.
The maps showed that by the Arda river there was a big city named Pergamon, which was also the first name of the legendary Troy. The experts are still considering the possibility that both Pergamon and Perperikon were actually one and the same city. This archaeological ensemble is typical for its rich stratigraphy, with the earliest discovered strata dating back to the Iron Age. The stronghold, which was built in Antiquity, had been continuously developed and reconstructed through the Middle Ages. In many documents from the 13th and 14th centuries it is called under the name of Hyperperikon.
